To Infinity and Beyond
by glarawiel
Summary: It's now 2020. Six years have passed since Piper's infamous stint at Litchfield Correctional Facility. Two years have passed since her monotonous wedding to Larry Bloom. Now, her past is ready to come back and bite her ... hard!
1. Chapter 1

**DECEMBER 2020**

"I propose a toast," Larry Bloom said, raising his wine glass. He turned to his side and looked at Piper. "To Piper Chapman, who has made me ridiculously happy these past two years, and" – he turned his gaze to the other side of the table – "to perseverance and respect; two traits that have kept our passion alive during some, uh, rather tough times."  
"Hear, hear," Cal Chapman spoke up from next to Piper. He looked at both of them admiringly. "I couldn't imagine anybody more deserving of my sister than you, man".

Piper felt her cheeks heating as her eyes met Larry's. She quickly raised her glass. "Cheers!" she said brightly, as the others raised their own glasses and clinked them together.

Two years.  
Two apathetic years of married life; another fifty or so to go. It was exactly how Piper pictured the married life to be: predictable and repetitive. Ever since her long-awaited release from Litchfield Correctional Facility, Larry had been by Piper's side through the thick and thin; even through the "tough times". She truly loved him, but was tired of the monotony of their lives. Every time a person offhandedly asked whether she was expecting, she felt like jumping in front of a double-decker bus. Were these questions the only interesting facets of her life?

"I'm bored," Piper sensually whispered in Larry's ear.

Larry looked at her, his face puzzled. "Pipes, it's our anniversary dinner. Just, you know, be happy."

"Bathroom. Let's go," Piper mumbled, her right hand caressing his left thigh.

"Piper! We can't just walk out and do, whatever you're thinking. Jesus!" insisted Larry, purposely pushing her hands off his leg.

"Fuck," Piper muttered under her breath, pushing her seat back behind her and rising to her feet.

"Uh, I'd like to thank you all for coming to our little gathering, but I'm feeling a bit under the weather so I better head off," she exclaimed, dropping her napkin on the table and storming out of the room, her heels clicking and clacking against the hardwood floor.

As silence ensured, Larry rose, wiping the crumbs off the sleeves of his blazer. "Wow. Um, yeah, I should go after her," quipped Larry, his face reddening.

Bill and Carol Chapman exchanged glances. "Is everything okay with you two? Please don't tell me another divorce is on the cards," Carol croaked, motioning to Polly.

"No. Oh, God. No. Never!" Larry laughed, awkwardly combing his hair with his hands.

"Holy shit! She's pregnant isn't she?" beamed Polly, accidentally knocking her glass off the table.

"What? No," he scoffed, turning his back on his friends and family, walking down the narrow hallway into the brisk New York air.


	2. Chapter 2

**DECEMBER 2015**

_Pipes,_

_Meet me in the rec room at 11. Don't ask questions. Just be there._

_Alex. xx_

Piper nervously adjusted her slacks, smoothed down her hair, and pushed open the door to the gloomy recreational room. She was almost fifteen minutes early, but was too anxious to kill anymore time uselessly pacing down the cold hallways of Litchfield. She exhaled pungently, thinking back over the events of the past week. The handcrafted posters hanging along the fluorescent walls of her farewell party. The unexpected tears that threatened to appear on even the toughest inmates. The look on Alex's face as she scoffed down Poussey's infamous hooch in a matter of seconds. She never thought she'd ever reminisce about the positive experiences of being in prison for eighteen months, yet here she was, tentative about her life in the outside world.

"About fucking time," Alex retorted, arms crossed and holding back a smile.

"What? I'm early!" Piper flirted, sluggishly making her way to Alex's side.

"You've been pacing that foyer for the past twenty minutes—"  
"—Fifteen. It's only been fifteen," Piper corrected, hooking her legs around Alex's upper body as she twisted herself against the callous, silver-metal stool.

"Easy tiger," jeered Alex, gently caressing Piper's lower back. "I didn't just write you a personal note so we could fuck," she winked. Piper's lips gently touched the arches of Alex's cupids bow. "Oh, I thought it was a personal invitation for a fucking session with the sex goddess of Litchfield," Piper toyed sarcastically, her elongated hands stroking Alex's sharp collarbone. "Pipes," Alex whispered seizing Piper's wrists and clutching them into a ball in her lap. Piper's smile slowly turned into frown. "What?"

"You're leaving tomorrow," said Alex, avoiding direct eye contact with her girlfriend.

"Oh Alex, we all knew this day would come," Piper intoned, her voice slightly breaking.

Alex's grip tightened. "Yeah, but how is 'this' going to last?" she gulped, her eyes slowly making contact with Piper's deep blue eyes. "I can't live without you."

Faintly biting her bottom lip, Piper shook her head. "Don't do this again."

"Do what again, Piper?" Alex rebuked.

"Put all this shit back onto me," she bellowed, removing herself from the tight clasp of Alex. "What do you want me to do? Huh? Stab another inmate so I'm given an even longer sentence so you don't lose your precious fuck buddy?"

"You're not my fuck buddy. You know that—"  
'—Oh, shut the fuck up," Piper countered, turning her back, making strides towards the door.

"Piper! Stop!" Alex yelled, sprinting to Piper's side, grabbing her arms in an embrace. "I didn't mean it like that," she bellowed in desperation, her body closing in on Piper's lean frame. They both froze.  
"I-I need you," Alex slurred, her eyes watering.

"Yeah, well I needed you and you abandoned me," Piper stammered, her outspread hands gently rising, landing on Alex's delicate shoulders. Memories of her insensitivity towards the death of Alex's mother flooded back in a fierce flash. "But, I guess I let you down too," Piper choked apologetically.

"Fuck! Prison has changed you," Alex sniffed, a small smile growing on her unblemished face.

"So, does that make us even?" she uttered, the gap closing in between their faces as their lips gently brushed against each others.

Piper's breath fastened. "Yes," she muttered, her palms gently closing in on Alex's perky chest. "How am I going to survive out there?" A single tear ran down Piper's face, which Alex's index finger tenderly dabbed.

"I have faith in you," Alex whispered, her lips brushing against Piper's neck. "Don't forget about me and – "

"—Never," Piper smiled. "I will visit you every week. I will write to you everyday. I will think about you every second," she said in a hushed tone. Piper's face scrunched up. "Did that sound corny?"

"Oh God! Yes," Alex laughed, her hands caressing the dimples in Piper's lower back. "But, I love your corniness," she smirked. "I love you."

"What am I going to do?" swallowed Piper.

"You're going to live," she grinned. "Write a novel. Get famous. But, don't forget about me."

Piper chuckled. "I don't know about the famous part, but I can't even fathom not having you in my life," she remarked, her thumbs rubbing the backs of Alex's ears.

"Fuck, you're amazing," Alex rapidly exclaimed, caressing Piper's lusty butt.

Swiftly falling to the floor, Alex tugged Piper's slacks down to her ankles, her soft hands grabbing onto the elastic of her pale white underpants, pulling her to the ground.

"Alex," Piper whimpered. "What about Larry?"

"Oh, fuck Larry!" exclaimed Alex, a frown appearing on her delicate face. "He's a fucking douchebag. I mean, he cheated on you with your best friend for fuck's sake—"

"—Yeah but I betrayed him," interrupted Piper. "I promised him that I would stay faithful to him and I didn't," she said, her hands covering the redness slowly swarming her face.

"Pipes, you didn't betray anyone. Larry's always been an asshole. C'mon, even Polly can't stand him!" she pleadingly affirmed, thinking back to the letter Polly sent Piper apologising for her irresponsible actions and emphasising the fact that they were no longer together.

"You know what. You're right. Fuck Larry. Fuck Polly. Fuck them all," Piper stressed. "I've got you and that's all that matters!"

Clasping her soft palms, Piper gazed into the depths of Alex's eyes. "Fuck, I love you."

"I love you too," smiled Alex. "So, what are we waiting for?"

Piper giggled, passionately pushing Alex's head down her body. Alex nuzzled her stomach and nipped her soft flesh, and with enough distraction that it caused her to sigh. Slowly bringing her hands to the edge of her shirt, Piper pulled it off. Alex stared at her almost hypnotised when her hands slid down the straps of her bra and then went to the back to unhook it. She swallowed hard.

"Alex!" Piper gasped when her mouth latched onto one of her breasts making her hips feverishly thrust against Alex's head. Going even lower, Alex's tongue gently stroked Piper's clitoris, turning the sigh into a strangled scream.

"Fuck. Yes. Oh, God. Yes!" she murmured, burying her hands in Alex's hair.

While Piper admittedly enjoyed the sex she had with Larry, it was nothing compared to what she felt with Alex. It was as if the whole world stopped spinning, the stars and moon reuniting to watch the blossoming of their relationship. But, what was she going to do when she was released? How could she spend the next six years away from the familiar embrace of her girlfriend?

Nonetheless, the thought swept away with Alex's touch.


	3. Chapter 3

**NOVEMBER 2018**

"You look so fucking depressed," Nicky scoffed, waking her roommate from complete and utter oblivion.

"Fuck my life," Alex mumbled, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "How long have I been down for?"

"A while," sniggered Nicky, proceeding to sit beside Alex on her insipid single bed.

It had been three days since Piper's handwritten note appeared on Alex's bedside; its remnants reminding her too well of the qualities she adored in her ex-girlfriend. After a perplexing lack of communication for the past few months, the letter had both shocked and agitated Alex. The past three years truly exemplified the idiocy of long-distance relationships. Despite their enlivening promises of maintaining a close relationship over the remainder of Alex's sentence, the promise was short-lived. As Piper comfortably blended into mainstream society, her naïve mentality enthused her back into the leaching incisors of Larry, while Alex lay motionless in her pigeonhole of a room.

Yanking the thin covers from Alex's limp body, Nicky playfully slapped her face. "Please don't tell me you're still lusting over Chapman again," she exclaimed, dramatically rolling her eyes.

Alex exhaled aloud; shifting to retrieve the letter she had snuggly tucked into the corner of her uncomfortable mattress, passively tossing it into the hands of her roommate. Nicky frowned, her glance shifting from Alex's soft eyes to the white envelope. "What the—," she scoffed, her face blatantly perplexed at the personalised address sticker stuck to its seal. "Chapman's gone all fancy on us," Nicky nodded, her obvious confusion slowly turning into a sarcastic smirk.

"Fuck off," Alex slurred, snatching the letter from Nicky's loose grip. "Piper's always wasted her money on shit like this," she shrugged.

Nicky mockingly reclaimed the letter, anxiously reopening the gluey envelope flap and removing the flimsy pink-tinged message.

_Dear Alex,_

_I've been sitting here for the past hour contemplating on whether or not I should send you this message. After agreeing on sending you a letter, I spent another hour planning what I was actually going to say. I don't even know what I'm trying to say, to be honest. I just feel the need to update you on what's happening in my life, even if you may not care or want to know. But, you were part of my life for such a long time that I feel obliged to contact you. So, here it is – I'm engaged, yet again!_

_Larry has been a blessing in disguise over the past three years. He's been there since the very beginning and I am so excited to spend the rest of my life with him. I can just imagine you reading this letter resisting the urge to barf, but I just want you to know that I am happy. You and I had a great time together but that's not what I need in my life. I want to settle down. I want to relax. I want predictability. Therefore, I think it's best if we stopped contacting each other. I don't think I can be a part of your life anymore. Yes, I may sound selfish, but I have to think of myself for once. I'm sorry._

_Our wedding is scheduled for December 15__th__ which is forecast to be partly cloudy with a chance of sunshine in the mid-afternoon. I don't know why I am telling you this, but I couldn't live with myself if I just left you stranded in that hellhole without any communication. Please don't hate me._

_I'll never forget you. You changed my life. I shall cherish the memories we shared together for eternity, but I can't be a part of your life anymore. I have to move on. I'm sorry._

_Give the others my love._

_With love,_

_Piper and Larry x_

"Fuck," Nicky elongated, vigorously shaking her head.

"But, I mean, what can I say, squirter's are irresistible," she toyed, bursting into a fit of laughter. "But, you know what they say – there's plenty more squirter's in the sea."

Alex resisted the urge to smile, her lips puckering, triggering even more laughter from Nichols. "You are such a bitch," exclaimed Alex, unable to resist the contagion of smiles. Nicky's amusement gradually came to an end as she gently removed a strand of hair from Alex's forehead, her palm softly resting on her flushed cheek. "You deserve better, kid" Nicky smirked, her eyes rested on Alex's drawn out face.

"I'm such a fuck-up," Alex swallowed. She instinctively clutched onto her bunkmate's other hand, gently rubbing her thumb with her index finger. Nicky chuckled. "If you're a fuck-up, then what does that make me?" A small smile responsively erupted on Alex's face.

Since the emergence of the news that Piper had made-up with Larry, her mood had dwindled dramatically. In an attempt to eradicate her reputation as Piper's binky, her relationship with her roommate had strengthened. It wasn't as steamy as her bond with Piper, but it was cathartic; a characteristic she highly desired in a woman. Nicky's laugh was always so contagious - her flirtatious nature triggering a flutter in her chest. Oh, and don't even mention the electrifying sex. But, she wasn't Piper.

"Motherfucker," swore Alex.

"Chapman or that asswipe she's marrying?" snickered Nicky. "Both," Alex responded, shaking her head. "What are you goin' to do about it?" asked Nicky, femininely throwing the letter up in the air which Alex intuitively caught.

"The fuck?" Alex grimaced.

"Um, win her back?" mocked Nicky, playfully flicking her in the head.

"And how the fuck would I do that, smart ass?" voiced Alex, contemptuously flicking her back.

Nicky's wicked grin returned. "Make her fall in love with you again, dummy!"

Alex was suddenly reminded of all of Piper's broken promises and the genuine heartbreak she'd felt following the revelation that she was in love with Larry, again. The giddiness she had experienced when she came to terms with the fact that Piper had abandoned her yet again. What a fucking surprise.

"That bitch is going to pay," Alex glowered, slowly crumpling the letter in her fist.

"Well that's not exactly what I meant but if that's going to get you out of this bed then go for it," scoffed Nicky, lightheartedly spanking her right leg.

"I'm going to make Larry look like the weak fuck he is," responded Alex, passionately.

"Well, in that case, you may proceed," winked Nicky, slowly rising.

"Before you know it she'll be fucking head over heels for me".

"If only Morello felt the same way," cackled Nicky, attempting to conceal her devotion to her longtime friend. Alex smiled, her hand clutching onto Nicky's familiar touch.

"Let's do this together then," whispered Alex.

"I like your thinking, Vause!" Nicky declared, mockingly stroking her metaphoric beard of wisdom. Alex flippantly slapped her moving arm. "No, I'm serious. I mean, come on, they'll be lusting over us in no time!" rose Alex, leaning against the wall directly behind her bedframe.

"And, how exactly would we do that, MacGyver?" mocked Nicky, her arms melodramatically outstretched.

Alex cheekily grinned, her eyes glaring into Nicky's.

"Blackmail."


	4. Chapter 4

**DECEMBER 2018**

Piper awoke to Larry pulling the duvet off of her and yanking her up by her slender shoulders. Her head was banging profusely. Their honeymoon suite was cluttered with outrageous wedding gifts enclosed in extravagant boxes adorned in bright colours and textures. Piper inquisitively turned to her right in search for the time only to discover two empty bottles of Moet champagne. Larry continued his unsuccessful attempts to haul her into a sitting position on the bed.

"What do you want?" slurred Piper, fighting against the weak grip of her new husband. She felt as if her head was a speedy washing machine. Her eyes and throat as dry as the Sahara.

"You've got to get dressed. The show starts in an hour," urged Larry.

Piper groaned. "What show?" she asked, rubbing her temples.

"Um." Larry tiresomely grabbed the tickets from his rear pocket. "_Godspell_? Your parents bought it for us. It should be … good?" he said, struggling to incite excitement in Piper.

Piper squirmed, falling back into the comfortable confines of the latex king-size bed.

Following an onslaught of minus zero temperatures, the wedding was engulfed in a tragic mix of snow, rain and strong westerly winds. Piper's exquisite wedding dress was drenched by the end of the day, not by the weather but by an ambush of Larry's worrisome sweat. The rest was an outright blur to Piper, although she did vaguely remember getting blatantly drunk over a series of expensive champagnes immediately after the doleful ceremony.

"Pipes, this is our first day as a married couple. Let's live it up," exclaimed Larry. The words immediately made Piper fidget with anxiety, a lump forming at the bottom of her throat. She could feel the bile and vomit rising inside of her throat. "I'm going to—," she breathed, forcefully throwing the linen covers off her body as she staggered to the lavish bathroom. She quickly hunched over the toilet, putting both hands on the cold floor, vomiting violently into the bowl. Larry followed her into the bathroom, leaning down to rub her back comfortingly. After a series of excessive gags, Piper slouched onto the polished tiles, her head leaning against the now desecrated toilet.

"Baby, I'm sorry," she whispered under her breath. Larry sympathetically stroked the side of her chin, tipping her face gently towards him. "I'd much rather be here with you than at a boring play," he responded. Piper's eyes landed on her husband, and they went wide. "No, you have to go. My mother's going to be there and if neither of us turn up then we're perpetually screwed. I mean, she's paying for half of the honeymoon so naturally she'd be super pissed if one of us didn't go," pleaded Piper, attempting to balance herself.

Larry extended a hand and slowly helped her up, putting the toilet seat down and gently helping her sit on it. He turned the bath on, the steam of the hot water rising as it filled to the brim. Piper sluggishly stripped off her clothes while Larry seized her torso, keeping her balanced. He turned the water off and helped her slip into the bath, her nipples erect from the cold.

"You're so goddamn sexy," Larry said, kneeling against the tub, stroking Piper's slim bicep.

"Fuck, Larry! I just spewed all over the fucking bathroom," she swore, slowly submerging herself in the hot water. Larry exasperatingly rose, storming out of the bathroom.

"Well, seeing as I'm no longer wanted here, I'll leave now. I'll see you in, I don't know, a couple of hours," he spoke, apathetically.

"Have fun—" Piper shouted sarcastically, only to be interrupted by the slamming of the hotel door.

"Fuck," she sighed, letting her head roll back.

As she sat in the bath, her knees popping out from the surface of the water, she cursed under her breath as she kept replaying their corny exchange of vows.

Piper truly loved Larry, but the past few hours had her regretting marrying him. The butterflies that fluttered to life every time they touched was long gone.

"I'm such a selfish bitch," Piper muttered under her breath, splashing the bath water for effect.  
His voice irked her. His smell disgusted her. His face bore her. Everything he did suddenly repulsed her.

Abruptly, the phone rang. Piper groaned and hung her head in the air, expecting either a soppy apology from Larry or a message of annoyance from her mother for ditching the play. She rolled onto her stomach, reaching for the bathroom's phone conveniently located to the side of the profligate basin. Despite the ensuing bids of giddiness, she grabbed the phone, placing it in the palm of her wet hand.

"Hello—"

"An inmate from Litchfield Correctional Facility would like to speak with you, if you accept, please press one" Piper froze. Her mind suddenly turned to mush as memories of her time in prison started flooding back like a torrent stream. How did they get this number? How did they know where she was? Piper's heart suddenly felt like a bag of sand. She slowly accepted the call, her wrinkly fingers nervously twisting the phone's curly cord. The phone immediately connected where she easily overheard the hustle and bustle of the women's prison, but there seemed to be nobody on the other end.

"Ah … Hello?" she anxiously stammered, her back slouched over slightly, with her elbows resting on her knees.

"Chapman," replied a familiar voice.

"Nicky?" Piper questioned, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Yo, Chapman. I ain't got time for chitchat but your girlfriend's in hospital," blurted Nicky.

Piper's voice cracked, her hands beginning to shake.

Speechless, she murmured an incomprehensible sound, her gurgling stomach dropping.

"Whh-at?" Piper whispered, her voice shaky.

"Alex Vause? Ring a bell? She's been bashed. I dunno when it happened but it's pretty rough. She's even got this badass breathing machine. I mean, I've been trying to get some information outta her for the past week but all she's been saying is your name: 'Piper, Piper' over and over again. I can't talk for long but I dunno what's going to happen. I've never seen her like this," she gulped, "they've tried everything but she hasn't improved. I—I really don't know if she's going to make it. It's pretty bad," said Nicky, her voice shaking.

"What the fuck?" Piper whispered. Was this a sick joke?

She regained her voice, "I'm tired of – of your childish games."

"Are you fucking kidding me? How the fuck do you think I got your number? From the fucking phonebook? I was told to freaking call you because she's fucking dying. Fuck Chapman, this isn't another one of your stupid games. This is fucking life or death. Fuck! I've gotta go. Just. Fuck it," Nicky rambled, aggressively hanging up the phone.

Piper stiffened, her hands still tightly gripped around the phone. The repetitive dial tone blurred into a single thump that matched the beating of her heart. She intuitively dropped the phone onto the cold floor, leaving it swinging from side to side.

"Fuck."


	5. Chapter 5

**JANUARY 2019**

One month, two weeks, and six days. That was how long it had been since that ill-fated night. A night bursting to the seams with alcohol, drama, infamous phone calls and uninteresting sex.

Larry had returned from a night at the theatre with his mother-in-law to a massacre of desecrated tissues and a series of wet footsteps leading to the bedroom. His eyes landed on his wife's slender body lying on the bed, a damp towel covering her bare breasts.

"Larry?" mumbled Piper.

"Pipes! You're shivering," Larry replied, slowly embracing her in his arms.

"What happ—" Piper cut him off. "I don't want to talk about it," she sniffed, unexpectedly pressing her lips against Larry's. Their lips momentarily parted, and Larry threw Piper's damp towel onto the floor. She softly stroked the back of his head, layering her lips with his and gently sucking his lower lip. Their lips still locked, Larry removed his pants and underwear, placing his cock at the entrance of her vagina. Piper lifted her hips up to meet his, ramming his cock further into her vagina. They moved in a rhythm as old as time, yet she felt nothing. Larry's breath fastened erratically; sweat slowly dripping down his clean-shaven face. Closing her eyes, she imagined a beautiful woman riding her; a tall, foxy brunette with secretarial glasses. She fucking hated Alex but couldn't remove the thought of her beautiful features from her mind. Suddenly, as if in a dream, Piper imagined her ex-girlfriend passionately riding her. She immediately felt an explosion of flutters, every thrust pushing her closer to the edge. Larry was no longer here. It was just Alex and her.

"Fuck me harder," Piper slurred, pushing herself closer into her partner.

Precipitously, she felt two palms against her inner thighs, vehemently pressing them apart. She was taken aback by a wet finger slipping into her, followed by a soft tongue slowly flicking over her clitoris. _This is amazing, _Piper thought. She moaned, rocking her hips against the mouth, already feeling the first signs of her impending orgasm. Then, almost immediately, the tongue started pressing even harder against her clitoris, making her explode. "Oh, yes," whimpered Piper, thrusting herself against the figure on top of her.

"Does that feel good?" Larry asked, unsuccessfully attempting to sound seductive.

Piper abruptly awoke from her daze, her eyes opening to reveal Larry's sweaty face looking down at hers.

Still shuddering from her orgasm, Piper was disorientated and confused. His body swiftly crashed next to hers, both of them sopping wet. She was instantly reminded of Nicky's phone call telling her of Alex's misfortune. What did she expect Piper to do? It's not as if she has the ability to save her. Dying in that hellhole would be the worst possible fortune for anybody. She wouldn't even wish that on her worst enemy, which happened to be, Alex.

Fifty-one days later, Piper found herself driving the harrowing roads of Herkimer County on her way to Litchfield. Her white Mazda Civic slowly made its way through the icy roads of New York State, Piper's eyes focused on the indistinct street lines. Everyday and night, the thought of Alex in a hospital bed, breathing through a machine, made her squirm with unease. She thought a month would be more than enough time to finally realise that Alex was no longer a part of her life; therefore she shouldn't bother feeling guilty. But, alas, she was wrong. She avoided bringing up the topic with Larry at every cost. He didn't even know about Nicky's call, let alone Alex's accident. Piper made the excuse that she was driving upstate to visit an old prison mate of hers, which was partly true. There would be no way in the world that she would even mention the fact that she was visiting Litchfield, let alone Alex Vause.

The last time she travelled down these glacial roads was the day of her release. Her brother and sister-in-law had driven their run-down pickup truck to the prison gates while Piper waved goodbye to her fellow inmates, especially her girlfriend. The emotional fusion of euphoria and anxiety she felt that day suddenly returned as she gained sight of her old home in the distance. Its wire fences sheltered the many institutional secrets of the prison and continued for what felt like miles. Despite the passage of four years, the place hadn't changed. Its depressive nature was contagious, seeping into Piper's almost-naïve psyche. She drove through the dilapidated main gate and into the visitation car park, finding herself swarmed by groups of other people visiting their friends and loved ones. For once, she finally empathized with the apprehension Larry felt when he visited her in the first few months of her sentence.

Walking into the correctional visitation office, a chill ran down her spine, as images of Alex unconscious in a hospital bed scampered her mind. She knew that entry into the hospital quarters was open to anybody considered close to the patient during visiting hours, but was terrified to reenter the penal confines of her past. After a few deep breaths, Piper made her way to an administration officer sitting at her secretarial desk.

"Um," Piper composed herself. "I'm actually here to visit an inmate in the hospital ward."

The hollow, sunken face of the administrator looked up from her iPad to face her. "And?" she said, casually returning to play a game on her device.

"I—I, um, was wondering if I could get a pass, you know, to see her?" stumbled Piper, her face slowly reddening. The woman nonchalantly paused her game, dramatically leaning over her laptop to retrieve a nametag. "Write your name and head upstairs," she replied, throwing the tag off the counter. Piper gulped and smiled, picking it up off the dirty floor. Seeing the supplied pen attached to the counter, she scrambled to use it only to realise it was completely out of ink.

"Um, ma'am. I'm sorry to bother you again but your pen doesn't work," smiled Piper.

"Jesus." The dispassionate woman behind the counter rolled her eyes. "You people want every damn thing handed to you on a bloody silver platter," she scoffed, flicking the pen across to Piper. _She must be new, _Piper thought.

While writing her name on the tag and visitor list, her heart beat frantically, her hands quivering. She was finally going to see Alex. Piper still hadn't come to terms with the fact that her ex-girlfriend could possibly die in the coming weeks. Memories of life with Alex swarmed to the forefront of her mind. Selfishly, she had trouble distinguishing whether this was a horrible situation or a positive one.

As directed, Piper headed upstairs for the security check, which she passed with flying colours. Firsthand experience meant that she knew exactly what she could bring in and what would be considered contraband.

Accompanied by an unfamiliar correctional officer, her heart beat with every step she made to the cold infirmary. Every sound she made echoed off the soaring ceilings. Her mind switched back into hypothetical mode as she imagined her ex-girlfriend's cataleptic body, struggling to breathe. No longer will her contagious laugh save her from a problem. No longer will her sexy voice cause a flutter in her tight chest. No longer will she only be a phone call away. Just the thought made Piper's eyes water, but she timidly blinked them away.

"Alex Vause. Bed five," the correctional officer instructed, opening the heavy protective door of the infirmary. Piper nodded, walking in with a shudder. The temperature felt like it had dropped ten degrees as she unhurriedly strode down the hall only to be confronted by a series of nurse's holding a patient down, resisting an injection of some sort. She paused for a second, only to receive a malicious look from one of the nurse's. Piper rapidly turned to continue walking.

_Bed ten. Bed nine. Bed eight. Bed seven. Bed six. _

Before sliding the curtain to bed five, Piper stopped. Her hands shook like ripples on water. She closed her eyes. The picture of Alex's lifeless body dependent on an abundance of cords and machines scared her to death. She took a deep breath and held it, slowly slipping the flimsy drape across, expecting to see a limp body on death row. But, she was wrong.

A healthy figure sat on the end of the bed, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Maybe this is a bad time to say, hi?"


	6. Chapter 6

**JANUARY 2019**

Piper stood still, her mouth dropped open in shock. She took a deep breath before pulling away, starting to lose her composure as silent tears streamed down her face. Piper tried to find her voice, demanding an explanation, some sort of conversation, but her voice stuck in her throat. She tried again and all that came out was a stifled cry. Alex's face didn't change a bit, her indignity only flashing through her bright green eyes.

"Pipes. I'm sorry but –"

"You betrayed me," interrupted Piper, her voice stuck in a low whisper.

Alex stood up and combed her hair with her fingers, taking a step forward. She looked perfectly healthy, except for a few scratches dispersed across her neck.

"Stop, bitch!" exclaimed Piper, finally recovering her voice. "Don't you dare move any closer or else."

She stopped. "I missed you."  
"Go _fuck_ yourself," Piper stuttered, tears continuing to roll down her cheeks.

"I need you," croaked Alex, her bottom lip and chin quivering. "You are my everything!"

"Fuck you!" Piper whimpered, her feet pressed to the ground by an invisible force.

"Let me explain," Alex begged, her eyes widening with clear panic. "Please!"

Piper shook her head in an attempt to disguise her tears.

"I did it for a reason, okay?"

"Yeah _fucking_ right," Piper broke in, sarcastically. "You got your _fucking _girlfriend to call me one day after my wedding. I repeat, one fucking day after I married Larry because you _missed _me? Don't fuck around with me again or I will report your ass to the authorities." Piper covered her face, uncontrollably snuffling from the tears.

"That's bullshit. Please, listen to me," pleaded Alex. "It wasn't Nicky's fault. Oh, and no, she's not my fucking girlfriend. I needed to see you so I – I got Nicky to help me hurt myself so it would look like I fell in the bathroom because –"

"Fuck no! You are so fucking _fucked! _You … fuck!" Piper hissed, cracking her knuckles.

"I know! Okay, I know. I'm officially fucked. But, I am head over fucking heels for you. You mean the world to me, Piper. Don't you see? I am in fucking _love _with you. I _fucking _love you," said Alex, her voice cracking with emotion. "I _need_ you! I _love_ you!"

"Oh, so now you _love _me? Well, guess what, I _hate_ you. I never want to see your fucking face again, okay? I am in love with Larry Bloom! The last I heard, that isn't your name," cautioned Piper, her right hand pointing at Alex's chest. "Don't you dare call me ever again. Don't even think about me ever again. You want to know why? Because I _hate _you. I _hate _you. I _hate_ you. I _hate_ you!"

"Piper, please! I love you. Don't do this to me again," Alex whimpered quietly, tears bellowing in the corner of her eyes. "I'm begging you, Pipes!"

"Are you that _fucking _selfish?" Piper stuttered. "How could somebody be so _fucking_ selfish?"

"Pipes, I can't change these feelings," sniffed Alex, her right hand reaching to rest on Piper's left shoulder. She aggressively pushed it away, shoving Alex against the hospital bed. "Well, you'll have to change those feelings."

"I can't. Don't you fucking get it?" Alex interjected, the tears rolling down her face making it appear red and plumpish. "I can't fucking get over you. You can't stay with Larry," she implored.

_Who the hell does she think she is_? Piper thought. Everyday her thoughts centered on Alex Vause. Her sex life was now dependent on imagining she was making out with her. But, that didn't mean everybody needed to know, nor did it mean she would leave her husband for a prisoner.

"You have no right to interfere in my marriage," Piper whispered, threateningly.

"I didn't mean it like that –"

"Shut the fuck up," interrupted Piper, her voice rising with each word. Alex glanced over Piper's shoulder, motioning for her to be quiet. "Don't shout."

"I can shout as loud as I want," she yelled, even louder.

Before she could continue, a nurse approached her sharply, languidly tapping her on the back.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry but I've got to ask you to leave. We don't tolerate shouting in the infirmary," she said, her face and voice lacking any expression.

"I think you're right," Piper sassed, her eyes locked on Alex. "It's definitely time to go."

"Piper! Don't do this," begged Alex, reaching up to cup Piper's face in her hands.

"Don't fucking touch me," Piper barked, hostilely pulling away from her touch.

As Piper was escorted out of the infirmary, she blocked out the cries of her ex-girlfriend calling her name. In all the years she knew Alex, she had never seen her reach this level of neediness before. She was so exposed and vulnerable; nothing like the dominatrix she thought she knew. It was as if she was walking in slow motion to the pleading screams of deprivation.

"PIPER! PLEASE COME BACK TO ME!" wailed Alex as the nurses settled her down on the bed.

Piper turned around to see Alex suspended to a bed, kicking and screaming against the tight grips of the nurses attempting to inject her with a sedative.

"DON'T LEAVE ME!" Alex screeched in a way Piper never imagined coming out of her mouth.

_I'm so sorry Alex_, Piper thought; her heartbeat fastening with every step she took. _I never meant for this to happen._

It wasn't until Piper got in her car that her body slumped beneath an intangible cloud of sadness and hurt. She felt numb. She wanted to scream but her body felt like it was frozen in ice. Then, almost expected, her heart dropped and she broke down in a fit of sobs, strangled cries forming in her throat and forcing their way out. She would always love Alex, but she knew she had to move on. Larry was her husband, and she loved him. Well, she thought she loved him. Admittedly, she missed the adventurous lifestyle she shared with Alex, but a comfortable life with Larry was what she needed. But, who did she love most? That's a question Piper had the most trouble answering.

"I'm so fucked."


End file.
